Feminism in Gilman's "The Yellow Wall Paper" Book Review

Feminism in Gilman's "The Yellow Wall Paper"
Looks at Charlotte Gilman's "The Yellow Wall Paper" as assertive feminist literature that illustrates the path of women to freedom.
# 147838 | 1,495 words | 5 sources | MLA | 2011 | KE
Published on Jul 26, 2011 in Literature (American) , English (Analysis) , Women Studies (Feminism) , Women Studies (Women and Society)


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Description:

This paper explains that feminist themes in "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Gilman are motivated by the author's own experiences in a male dominated world. Next, the author points out the use of grammar and elements of style to illustrate the widespread male oppression in her society and the significance of the yellow wall paper as a motif throughout the book. The paper concludes that this book succeeds in promoting new ideas about the position of women in the society while challenging the old order by exposing the ugly social and political order that stifled the progress of women.

From the Paper:

"These images are so numerous that it becomes almost impossible to decipher the meaning but given the context of the work of art, it is easier to note that these mutating forms in the yellow wall paper represent the changing nature of male chauvinism and its effects on women. The patterns which change under different lightings represent particular traits that can only be seen under certain conditions and these represent the various forms of discrimination that women face in the society. The fact that these patterns can only be seen under certain conditions means that some of the acts of discrimination of women in society go unnoticed by the masses and it takes a critical eye to see that women are undergoing mistreatment, humiliation and discrimination."

Sample of Sources Used:

  • Haney, Janice. "Monumental Feminism and Literature's Ancestral House: Another Look at 'The Yellow Wallpaper," Women's Studies 12 (1986): 113-128.
  • Knight, Denise . "The Reincarnation of Jane: 'Through This' - Gilman's Companion to 'The Yellow Wall-paper.'" Women's Studies 20 (1992): 287-302.
  • Lauer, Paul. Feminism in modern literature. New York: Heath, 1994
  • Gilman, Charlotte. Harland. New York: Pantheon Books 1979
  • Gilman, Charlotte. The Forerunner. retrieved 19th April 2011 from www.en.etexas.edu/~daniel/amlit/wallpaper

Cite this Book Review:

APA Format

Feminism in Gilman's "The Yellow Wall Paper" (2011, July 26) Retrieved September 24, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/book-review/feminism-in-gilman-the-yellow-wall-paper-147838/

MLA Format

"Feminism in Gilman's "The Yellow Wall Paper"" 26 July 2011. Web. 24 September. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/book-review/feminism-in-gilman-the-yellow-wall-paper-147838/>

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